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Training Partners
Not the same thing is bromance
There are a lot of factors that dictate how well a training session can go: how rested you are, how much food has recently been eaten, how much coffee has been consumed, general stress levels, injuries or soreness, atmosphere or environment, attitude, and mood. One very underrated aspect to help improve some of those areas is a good training partner.
A good training partner is someone you get along with well, can help motivate you, critique you, and someone that genuinely cares about your success. The best partners meet all these qualities, and you do the same for them.
Some of the WFAC crew (R to L): Chris, Sammerr, Brian, and Justin
My training partner is one of my best friends, Chris. When I met him earlier this year, we got along pretty well right away. We like to joke around a lot in between sets, and this developed the concept that is 70’s Big. When we lifted, we were gettin’ 70’s Big. When we were eating, we were gettin’ 70’s Big.
Chris has gotten pretty damn strong in the time that I’ve known him. He has deadlifted 545 for five, pulled 600 and 625 for singles in the gym, and squatted 500 for a triple last Friday (video of this training session is forthcoming). He loves to deadlift, and whenever he is about to pull, I literally get goosebumps — and I’m only watching. Some of the most fun I’ve had in recent memory happened in the gym with this big galoot (he’s 6’, 265).
Fun is a keyword. Sometimes training can be hard — real fucking hard. So, having a break from the high stress of attempting heavy lifting can be a luxury. Chris and I can go from joking around to psyched up pretty quickly — I have an uncanny (almost stupid) ability to get my adrenaline up (more on this another time). Having a good friend, especially one who is real damn strong, makes training more fun than it already is.
Realistically all this rubbish is an excuse to play the following video. The camera was left on in a candid moment. The training partner topic was the only one that fit to let me post the video, otherwise it would be stuck on the cutting room floor. Note: Unless your name is AC, you may not find this amusing.
Anybody have any stories about good training partners? Bad ones?
How many of you actually have training partners?
———-
Drew from Alpharetta, GA sent me this picture of him deadlifting. Drew is 5’6″ and 170 lbs., up from 155 three months ago. In the photo he is pulling 380 for a set of five and has since done 400 for a triple. Drew is one of many people who formerly only did CrossFit and now training for general strength and power development.
56 Comments
November 17th, 2009 at 12:49 am
I had a training partner early this year for a few months. A lot of fun until his motivation took a dive and it just became a pain in the ass trying to schedule around him.
I”m now working out alone until I can find someone else that is as dedicated to getting strong.
Any tips for finding strong motherfuckers or fuckers who want to get strong to train with?
November 17th, 2009 at 12:59 am
Here is a funny story in video form:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRH2Xl4cSZM
November 17th, 2009 at 1:30 am
Nice work boys! Keep training hard! …
November 17th, 2009 at 2:24 am
I have a little shit training partner (5”10″, 145) who is pretty friggin awesome. Though I”m much stronger on the lifts than he is at 6”0″, 175 (i know im skinny too) he loves to learn the lifts and get stronger. After about a month his Squat has gone up from 145 to 205, his deadlift up to 255, he”s benching 155, pressing 95 and cleaning 125. Baby steps but he”s with me and we push each other well. I need him now that im getting heavy as fuck wit my squats (well, for me that is…305) and I need a TON of intensity or i have no shot…
He does get embarrassed about my high socks, tucked in shirt and knee sleeves…
We”ll see who”s laughing once his shins start bleeding as bad as mine do
November 17th, 2009 at 7:02 am
Justin, that video is funny as hell. Only something that could happen with good friends about….
November 17th, 2009 at 7:32 am
Nope – no training partner here per se. I am lifting at a CF affiliate that is also a globo style fitness center (actually, they are now owned by a hospital and half of the facility is PT!!).
Anyways – I CF”ed there for 18 months and had plateaud on everything. I still go at the same time as the 6 am class (the one I used to train with) and will still talk to them between sets/after working out … but, I”m the lone wolf.
November 17th, 2009 at 7:59 am
My training partner is 6 months pregnant so right now I am on my own. Can”t wait for her to be back, I”ve never had a partner as focused, willing to learn and as able to critique as her. And it is admittedly awesome to watch your wife do deep squats and deadlifts with guys doing quarter squats and leg presses all around.
November 17th, 2009 at 8:07 am
My old partner was terrible. He wasn”t motivated and never listened to any form critiques, therefore, he never got any stronger. My partner now is pretty badass and we”re both on our way to getting 70”s big.
November 17th, 2009 at 8:12 am
No training partner. Everyone that I did have in the past fizzled out for various reasons. Would love to have one.
Drew,
I live in Greenville, SC, and my corporate offices are in Alpharetta. Where do you train down there?
November 17th, 2009 at 8:22 am
I wish I had a training partner, or group of guys to lift with. I always like lifting with other like minded/motivated people. It makes a workout that much better.
If anyone is in the Austin, TX area and wants to lift, let me know.
Justin, that video has me cracking up.
November 17th, 2009 at 9:29 am
my friends and i have been lifting together for years. on and off. only recently have we discovered SS and this site. we are always critiquing each others form. suggesting going down in weight to “fix our knees” at times. we are always positive too, nothing bad. we always count on each other to spot us help us and keep each other motivated. if it wasn”t for them it would be pretty hard to get going sometimes. now we are all gaining weight and strength. having work out partners is a huge benefit and makes the whole gym day better.
November 17th, 2009 at 9:57 am
My training parter really can”t spot me or anything, but does provide motivation at just the right time. It is my MP3 player. Lame, I know, but it is what it is.
November 17th, 2009 at 10:02 am
what do u listen to when ur at the gym?
November 17th, 2009 at 10:20 am
Hey Justin, I think that was hilarious man. I was laughing so hard that norman started to laugh and he was all the way in the living room. He came in laughing to see what was going on.
November 17th, 2009 at 10:25 am
Y”all are freakin crazy!
November 17th, 2009 at 11:06 am
In Statesboro, we don”t have training partners, we have a training cult.
AC
Norman
Springer
Brian
Pat
Drew
Alan
DeMarcus
Joe
Flounder
I am sure I”m missing someone…
November 17th, 2009 at 11:31 am
Awesome video…simply awesome!
Unfortunately no training partner. I lift at a local Gold”s during lunch while the other guys in my office are either doing yoga, running on a treadmill or are on a machine. Needless to say they think I am a little off because I squat 3 days a week, drink whole milk all day long and wear weightlifting shoes. My attempts to have them join me for a session always fall on deaf ears…lost they are.
Damn I am jealous of anyone who has a quality training partner and/or trains at a quality gym.
November 17th, 2009 at 11:57 am
Haven”t had a good training partner since 2002. 1998-2002 were some good years for training, the college years. Been flying solo ever since.
November 17th, 2009 at 12:11 pm
Aside from the fun and motivation provided by a good training partner, I”d really like to find a dependable spotter for the bench press. Last week one of the “monitors” at my school”s gym interfered with every rep of my 3RM attempt, despite the fact that I had asked him (very politely) not to touch the bar unless it was absolutely necessary.
As Rip has said (on a youtube video of a barbell seminar), this spotter interference on a PR attempt “fucks up six weeks of training.”
November 17th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
Yeah Alan put it the best way possible. There is about 8 or nine. Sometimes a few girls show up in the mix too. Its more of a group than a partnership.
November 17th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Statesboro must have one of the highest populations per capita of men training to get 70s big. The women here don”t know how lucky they truly are.
November 17th, 2009 at 12:35 pm
I train solo at my garage gym, have for quite sometime. I train some others, but I do not like training the same time as them, and they do not enjoy it either. Lifting as many of us on this site do requires a level of intensity that alot of people do not find enjoyable, especially since I am an asshole when someone tries to talk to me right before or during a set. So I don”t mind training alone at all, at least until I find a good training partner.
November 17th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
I have trained solo for so long that I kind of prefer it now. I actually find myself avoiding conversation with anyone at the gym because I”d rather stay focused on what im doing.
If you listen to music while you train and you like vikings check out Amon Amarth. Some great training music that is.
November 17th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
The Statesboro Group just has great chemistry. (And AC)
Of the group listed above:
6 came from the CrossFit Statesboro after it closed
5 of us have military service
3 are CrossFit Level 1 certified
1 is Barbell certified
Age ranges from 19-29 with the average being over 22.
There are probably 5 other people who are doing SS that don”t train with our crew. But their form is poor. We train in a 11,000 sqft facility, and that”s just weights. But even with all that space, there are only 2 Olympic platforms and 3 squat racks.
November 17th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
Lord Burly, a good bench spotter is one thing I need as well. I had the same experience the other week while trying to pr on a set of 5… I tell him not to touch the bar unless it gets stuck at the bottom. What does he do? Puts his hands on it after the 3rd rep “Its all you bro!”.
November 17th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
@ bflatsax,
I usually listen to AC/DC, Metallica, Disturbed, Black Sabbath, Bush, and even some Eminem. I have a plethora of songs but I usually only get through the same ones each workout, which is fine with me. My favorite song to squat with is One by Metallica. The first part gets me mentally prepared to get under the bar and the second part of the song helps me drive the bar up. It”s magical really.
November 17th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
Alan, have you seen my form? It”s damn impressive and should be since it took AC two hours of coaching to get me straight haha. I know a few guys that train sun/tues/thurs evenings so there are upwards of 15 people following the program here. These numbers are bound to increase as people witness our impressive gains. Perhaps then we can actually get a regular pullup bar.
November 17th, 2009 at 1:38 pm
For the Press do you guys recommend restarting from the chest each time(no eccentric bounce) and how many reps do you recommend. ive been doing sets of five and 61 kg is about as high as ive been able to go… should i move down to 3s?
November 17th, 2009 at 1:39 pm
Just got a great new training partner last week. She”s my 13 year old daughter who has develped an interest in lifting for strength. We started Starting Strength. We kept the weights pretty light and she worked on form for the squat, press and deadlift. Then at the end of the session she pulled a 135lb deadlift like was nothing. Not bad for a rookie. Sweet! So proud!
November 17th, 2009 at 2:14 pm
The SS of Statesboro has alot of enemys due to the use of chalk and how we make the gym “dusty” so we have to stay together. And we are surrounded by 90s small douchebags.
November 17th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Schactler:
I used to reset/breath at the bottom (bar racked on delts). I saw a video of AC breathing at the top (which Rip also discusses/advocates trying in Starting Strength) and gave it a shot. Made a huge difference.
Previous 3 sets of 5 PR was 135 (barely), with this breathing technique I hit 140 and 145 the last two weeks pretty easily. Hoping it translates to a new 1RM in a few weeks (previous is 170).
November 17th, 2009 at 2:54 pm
I”ve never had a training partner. I train by myself in my home gym with some loud ass music. Sometimes it”s hard to get motivated for a big lift but so far so good. It would be nice to have someone around with the same goals to push me on but I guess that”s what you guys are for.
November 17th, 2009 at 2:59 pm
Don”t have one, don”t want one unless they”re a 70s big type of guy.
I”m picky
November 17th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
For everyone who can”t find a training partner and wants one:
Either go to powerliftingwatch.com or talk to the big guys at your gym to find out where the closest “real” gym is. As long as you”re in the United States, there”s a good chance at least one “real” gym nearby. Keep in mind the best gym in your town may be the high school or college gym with weightlifting platforms for football players. If you”re a tax payer, these aren”t off limits.
Don”t rule anywhere out just because it”s over 30 minutes away. If you can only go train with a group of experienced lifters once a week or once every other week, it”s better than nothing.
And don”t rule out hardcore bodybuilding gyms that are friendly to Squatting and Deadlifting. If you honestly wouldn”t want to train alongside someone like Dorian Yates, Evan Centaponi, or Steve Kuclo because they”re bodybuilders then check to see how far up your ass your own head is before you run out of air.
Don”t waste your time trying to talk one of your friends into picking up powerlifting or weightlifting. If a friend asks you about getting involved in lifting, or you have a friend who is a serious lifter, that”s a different matter. But if you have to convince someone to lift, then do you really think they”ll make a good training partner?
Finally, the best advice about training partners. Loui Simmons says he won”t train with anyone who doesn”t scare him. Remember that.
November 17th, 2009 at 3:18 pm
Well after I saw how much fun you guys are having, now I want my own training partner! Life”s too short to be serious all the time.
November 17th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
Hey Edward Stedman,
I train in my parents” basement, but if you”re looking for a place to do some hard things, you are more than welcome to come and move some iron. Shoot me an email.
November 17th, 2009 at 3:36 pm
I absolutely loved the video of Chris and Justin training hard. Awesome. Gotta get me some of those socks.
Oh, and I normally train by myself unless its with either my 12 year old daugther, my wife, or some little fellow who won the 06 WSM. All of which have their upside and their downside.
All the best,
Arden
November 17th, 2009 at 4:30 pm
I might have a training partner if more females trained at the gym!=(
November 17th, 2009 at 4:59 pm
That”s awesome Steven! I have a training partner on the way… he”s only two months old at the moment, but at this rate, (it looks like he got some decent genes from his mother”s side of the family) he”ll be an ox!
November 17th, 2009 at 5:02 pm
That is without a doubt the sexiest damn air guitar solo I”ve ever seen. Wow.
Maybe you guys can reenact that if I make it up to WF next month.
November 17th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
@DRGA, I couldn”t find an email for you on your blog. Here”s mine, stedmaniv at gmail.
November 17th, 2009 at 5:58 pm
Got my first eggnog in 5 years this morning after my workout. Good recommendation. No easier way to get in another 800 calories than a pint of eggnog.
November 17th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
Tescott-Nice! Start em young!
November 17th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
After seeing pictures of myself on here last night, I went to Five Guys and ordered a bacon cheeseburger with three patties and downed it with a bunch of egg nog. And then today I squatted 275, my previous PR, for 3 triples.
In short, 70”s Big works.
November 17th, 2009 at 7:16 pm
I am a high school teacher so I have access to a great gym with bumper plates and platforms.. However, no real training partner. I am usually watching kids almost kill themselves trying to squat (usually amusing, sometimes scary).
By the way, I have heard “Five Guys” mentioned a couple times here. They are awesome. It is about the only place where you can actually order a bacon cheeseburger and ask for extra bacon and give it to you for free. LOVE IT. If you have not been there- GO NOW.
November 17th, 2009 at 7:32 pm
Just came from Stop & Shop and grabbed a half gallon of Garelick Farms egg nog. They have a $1 off sticker right now that is good thru 12/31/10, but it”s only one coupon per purchase. I say go rip off as many as you can and stock them up for the next year.
November 17th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
A 5 Guys bacon cheeseburger is close to 1000 calories, guys.
keep that in mind
November 17th, 2009 at 7:48 pm
I will take two then…. j/k… or am I?
November 17th, 2009 at 9:16 pm
3 PRs today. Squat 260×5, 265×5, 270×5. My previous 1RM pr was 275. 70sbig works. 260 felt too easy, so I had to go up. Same with 265. I LOVE it.
November 17th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
to JAB.
ya man good mix.. ever try dragonforce or mastadon. anything hard works well.. cant say that for my gym tho.. they usually play remixes of jlo songs and crappy shit like that.. not to mention the volume is always way too low so when there is a decent song that maybe comes up once a week you i cant hear it anyways..
who picks this shit anyways? i mean there arent that many girls who train on the weights side of the gym.. they should section it off so they play the shit near the elipticals and good lifting music near the weights.. an inquiry will be filed.. its sacrilege i tell you
November 17th, 2009 at 9:42 pm
I don”t train with anyone, but I train alongside some dedicated folk. There”s always somebody in the gym squatting, pulling, or cleaning a big number, which adds a little motivation to my workout.
November 17th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
I listen to Chicago when I train — none of that awful noise you guys keep listing.
November 18th, 2009 at 8:24 pm
Fu Manchu are are my training partners.
November 19th, 2009 at 1:11 am
I””m part of the sTATESBORO CULT OF 70””S BIG.
It””s a great group partnership. Chasing AC has been great, today I hit 400×5 for sets. PR. Would have never maid it if i didn””t have a stronger guy like AC to push me.
No, no. We are anything but a cult. Let me repeat that: we are NOT a cult.
–Justin
November 20th, 2009 at 9:42 am
@ justin
Chicago!! sweet tunes man. earth wind and fire? they both played on the same stage at the new MGM grand at foxwoods resort and casino here in new England. awesome show. anyways. i love old time funk with horns man. good tunes. tower of power is where its at!
November 21st, 2009 at 12:06 pm
@ jgalon04,
sorry dude mixed up your post and Ed Stedman”s. what”s your email?